During a 9-month investigation, officials from the West Metro Drug Task Force seized more than $5 million in drugs across Colorado, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
The operation began as an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl throughout the state, according to a Thursday news release from the sheriff’s office.
Since August 2022, the task force has seized more than 400 pounds of meth; 325,000 pills containing fentanyl; 3 kilograms of cocaine; 1 pound of heroin and 1.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, which could equate to more than 350,000 lethal fentanyl doses, the news release stated.
Along with the drugs, the task force said they also seized 17 firearms, many of which were reported stolen.
According to the news release, 16 suspects have been indicted on 116 largely drug-related felony charges. The First Judicial District Attorney’s office presented the case to a grand jury that returned indictments against all 16 suspects for charges including the unlawful possession and distribution of controlled substances, weapons charges, kidnapping, motor vehicle theft, trespassing and more.
The suspects bought narcotics from a Mexican drug cartel before selling them in Jefferson County and across the Denver Metro area, according to the indictments.
Officers continue to search for six of the indicted individuals, while 10 have been arrested.
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